Skip to main content

Review of Buckets by University of Northampton BA Actors at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

The second of the two University of Northampton shows performed in the Royal for 2022 by the BA Actors was Buckets by Adam Barnard, and it was a much more entertaining, cleaner and better-performed show than The Gut Girls the day before.

Erin Jones
Barnard’s Buckets takes the form of thirty-three interconnected scenes revolving around the loose link of “buckets” be they sick buckets, bucket lists or a bit of charity bucket shaking, the scenes weave and meander with occasionally recurring characters and situations. It is very similar to other plays performed by the BA Actors of the past, including perhaps most obviously Love + Information, and as with such a format, it is also perfect for the University actors to perform.

Sam Day
It is a delightfully delivered play, with strong performances and characterisation across the board from all the performers. I particular liked Erin Jones’ loving mother, tasked with dealing with the eventual death of her daughter, and it was great to have this poignant character crossover into the much more comedic “Kiss Me” sequences, which saw Sam Day’s character in constant attempts to get ladies to kiss him. Hugely entertaining. Owain Hedd in several scenes makes a great impact, showing the best quality in comedy situations and he also has a distinctive look which might take him far.

Carly May
The contrast in scenes was excellent, weaving from full comedy to sadness and each of the scenes was really well balanced lengthwise, never outstaying their welcome. One particular scene towards the end was immensely powerful as Carly May’s character filmed on her phone on a train platform what was likely to be her final moments, were it not for the arrival Neyha Solanki as a would-be thief. While there was a huge power in the poignancy of this scene, writer Barnard also adds much subtle humour and May and Solanki are excellent in it.

Carly May
The play takes place on a set of playground equipment and a park bench and the simple set offers its pros and cons, slightly irritating is the constant head ducking under the slide for the performers, particularly for the ever-present observer and scene changer Crystal Liu. It might seem churlish to comment on this, but it interferes with the swift scene changing, and I felt, a better position of the set might have lessened this impact. The set does however provide several perfect backdrops for each of the short scenes.

However, whatever criticism is placed on Buckets, it is minor, as this is very much the BA Actors of Northampton, doing what they do best, nice stage presence, confident performances and the effective telling of a clever and very entertaining play. Excellent stuff.

Entertaining and well performed, this is every bit the BA Actors at their best.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Performance reviewed: Friday 13th May 2022 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.
Buckets ran at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 14th May 2022.

Buckets was presented by final year actors at the University of Northampton

Popular posts from this blog

Review of The House She Built at The Black Diamond, Northampton

Independent theatre company Nerve Theatre was founded in January 2025, when its first original production, Broken Party , took to the stage at Benn Hall in Rugby. That was followed the same year by a modern retelling of Frankenstein . Now, for 2026, Nerve Theatre founder Mia Ballard has written and directed The House She Built , staged for three nights at The Black Diamond, Northampton. The House She Built , set in 1950s Hollywood, is a dark thriller influenced by the lives of Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn and their treatment as women within the cogs of Hollywood. Our leading lady here is Nancy Carlton, who returns to Mellor Brothers Productions to make one final film. But something awaits her, and the scene is set for a period thriller that explores the grimy world behind Hollywood's apparently glamorous days. Michaela Clement-Hayes leads the cast as Nancy Carlton, the star troubled by her past, but returning to her old studio for that final mov...
Read more

Review of making second Kontakt with the R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

As I said in my first Kontakt review, I wasn't really sure that I wanted to see this show. However come Sunday and a second opportunity to see it, I was genuinely looking forward to it. With the show now having departed, for my second review I will elaborate a touch more on happenings, which initially I shied away from as spoilers. My actor for my second encounter was 15 year old Michael. He had the enviable task unlike Michael before him of dealing with someone who knew quite a bit of what was coming. As those surgical gloves went on I this time was certain that the R&D were not going to overstep the boundary and do a full medical. I had also learnt that a crisp sandwich was something that should be left in the memory, so cheese was a much more sensible option. I was able to complete the calculation generally unaided and managed to express an exaggerated shock at the latter outcome. The game of Jenga managed to stay stable once again and rather amazingly managed to bring t...
Read more

Review of Legally Blonde at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

As I settled down in my chair at the Derngate to see this touring production of the musical Legally Blonde , I generally had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Never having seen the film, read little up on the show, as is my want, and sitting in a clearly unbalanced gender demographic, this show was quite clearly not targeted at me. As the opening number, a catchy, but the incredibly screechy song, Omigod You Guys was performed, I was not, let's say, won over at first. However, it was clear that this just served as an overwhelming and ridiculous setup to the boldness of the show. The second number, Serious was a much better experience and genuinely funny song and throughout the tracks to come, there was much better to come. Our lead is Elle Woods (a charming, bubbly Lucie Jones), a typical caricatured blonde whose sole aim in life is to get the hand of her love in life Warner Huntingdon III (Liam Doyle). When he breaks up with her in pursuit of someone "serious...
Read more